Theory Of Action Research Articles

Zooming into qualitative research: online adaptation of the action-project method research design

ABSTRACT The Action-Project Method (A-PM) is a comprehensive qualitative research method guided by Contextual Action Theory, which has been successfully employed to study the goal-directed actions of dyads (e.g. parent-child pairs; couples). In this article, we discuss how we adapted the A-PM to successfully collect rich longitudinal qualitative data using remote video-based data collection procedures. After describing the A-PM in detail, we draw upon an example from a recent study which successfully implemented this methodology over a video-conference platform. Data collection and analysis procedures are described, as well as the methodological integrity of the A-PM. To facilitate consideration of the appropriateness of the remote methodological adaption to the A-PM, we discuss several practical strengths and limitations. Ultimately, we maintain that it is possible and viable to complete this method online. We hope to inform a new generation of researchers about the adaptability of the A-PM research design to remote data collection procedures.

Theoretical evaluation of tapered composite plate girders subjected to shear loads

The behavior of prismatic composite steel plate girders subjected to shear loads was thoroughly investigated, and different theories were evaluated. However, the behavior of tapered composite plate girders with and without openings has not yet been investigated. Therefore, this paper presents a new method for predicting the ultimate capacity of tapered composite plate girders subjected to shear loads. The shear capacities of tapered composite plate girders with and without web openings were developed based on the classical theory of tension-field action for prismatic composite plate girders. It is assumed that the shear capacity of such girders can be predicted from the steel plate girder and reinforced concrete slab anchored using shear studs. The effect of the composite action on the top flange owing to the shear studs was considered in the derivation of the equations to calculate the shear capacity of the steel plate girders. In addition, the shape and size of the opening were also considered. The proposed method was verified by comparing the results of the shear capacity with experimental results from previous studies. It can be concluded that the proposed method can predict the shear capacities of tapered composite plate girders with solid and open webs with acceptable accuracy.

An active inference approach to interpersonal differences in depression

Depression is characterized by different distortions in interpersonal experience and behavior, ranging from social withdrawal to overt hostility. However, clinical psychological research has largely neglected the need for an integrative framework to operationalize these different phenomena and their dynamic change more accurately in depression. In this article, we draw on active inference theory, a comprehensive theory of perception, action, and learning, to provide a formal model explaining how variations in patients' internal belief-systems lead to differences in social experience and behavior. In this context, we assume that individuals cannot directly grasp the characteristics of their social environment. Instead, they must infer them indirectly from ambiguous social observations, which they themselves generate and alter through their actions. Differences in interpersonal experience and behavior arise from the interplay of patients’ prior expectations, their propensity to infer particular social states from certain observations, and their beliefs in their ability to influence these situations through specific actions. We then use concrete examples to demonstrate how future research can take our approach to identify systematic differences in interpersonal experiences and behaviors among depressed patients (or patient subgroups) and to investigate their changes in response to new social experiences. We also discuss potential applications of our approach in diagnosing and treating depression. This work is a move towards understanding the interpersonal aspects of depression in more detail, recognizing their importance in etiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Marcel Mauss, MAUSS and Maussology: The productive reception of the Essay on the Gift in France

Alain Caillé, the founder of the Mouvement du MAUSS, presents an influential interpretation of Marcel Mauss’s classic Essay on the Gift as a foundational text of and for an anti-utilitarian theory of action. This article returns to Mauss’s seminal essay and presents the paradigm of the gift by resituating the MAUSSian reading within the French field of Maussology. While the article is largely sympathetic to the anti-utilitarian project, it also develops critiques and theoretical suggestions of its own.

Contextual Action Theory in Nursing Home Settings: A Conceptual Framework for Considering the Active Role of Residents

AbstractNursing home (NH) residents are often considered passive recipients of care with a limited role in shaping their experience. This perspective is often reproduced in NH research, which restricts resident participation, thereby upholding ageist views that cause discrimination of older adults living in NH settings. In this article, we propose using Contextual Action Theory (CAT) as a conceptual framework for exploring NH experiences in a way that incorporates the active role of residents. CAT supports the active role of NH residents by emphasizing the capabilities of human beings to form preferences and act on those preferences, without assumptions of rationality. The emphasis on human action allows researchers to consider NH experiences as co-constructed between residents, care providers, and family members, which means placing an emphasis on the actions and goals of NH residents, no matter their cognitive or physical impairments. CAT also supports personhood and social citizenship concerns in NH research, by acknowledging the differing preferences and thereby differing experiences of NH care by individual residents. We argue that CAT should be considered a useful framework for putting residents in the center of NH research.

Pasar Rebo Street Library Community Alternative Education Empowerment Model for School Out-of-School Children

The problem of dropping out of school experienced by students in Kampung Tengah, East Jakarta raised the social concern of the Pasar Rebo Street Library Community to Apply the concept of empowerment throught alternatie education activities as an effort to overcome the phenomenon of students dropping out of school. This research aims to describe the internal and external factors causing dropouts, the alternative education empowerment model and the supporting and inhibiting factors in its implementation. This research uses descriptive qualitative method with purposive sampling technique to determine informants. Data were collected throught interviews, observation and documentation. The data were analyzed using structural functionalism theory, specifically Talcott Parsons’ AGIL concept and Max Weber’s Social Action theory. The results show that the internal factor that causes children to drop out of school is the desire of children to help parents work, while the external factor is the lack of parental attention to children’s education. There are five alternative education empowerment models carried out by the Pasar Rebo Street Library Community, namely the history model of the formation of teaching staff, the book collection model for teaching materials, the student data colletction model, the student classification model and the altenative education learning model. Supporting factors in alternative education activites are motivation, commitment and a supportive environment, while the inhibiting factors are the time of organizing activities, the inconsistency of some teaching staff, and the lack of interest in learning from some students. Based on the results of the research, alternative education activities carried out by the Pasar Rebo Street Library Community for school dropouts in Kampung Tengah, East Jakarta are included in the concept of empowerment, where students are given learning, knowledge and knowledge like in formal education, and there are plans to create PKBM so that students get proof of learning or diplomas.

Network dynamics of civil society: a longitudinal study in Malaysia amidst changing political opportunity structures

Abstract This article explores the role of macro-level factors, specifically political opportunity structures (POS), in shaping interorganizational network tie formation and persistence. Grounded in the POS literature and the multitheoretical multilevel (MTML) framework—specifically using the theories of resource dependency and collective action—we examine how changes in POS are associated with network structures in Malaysian civil society. Data were collected in two phases, reflecting different political contexts. Although the network never evolved into a decentralized or centralized structure, the most central organizations remained consistent and seemed to have been active in bringing others closer to reconfigure toward a more cohesive structure as the POS became more closed. This research contributes to communication network theory by demonstrating how incorporating exogenous environmental factors like POS can advance theory. It offers new insights into operationalizing POS within network analysis and challenges conventional interpretations of centralization in interorganizational relationships.

Consumer satisfaction and preferences for enhanced chicken egg attributes in Ghana: an application of extended theory of reasoned action and means-end theory

Consumer satisfaction and preferences for enhanced chicken egg attributes in Ghana: an application of extended theory of reasoned action and means-end theory

Intimate Partner Abuse and Homicide During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Situational Action Theory Analysis

During the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home restrictions significantly changed people’s daily lives around the world. Opportunity and strain theories predict this would lead to an increase in intimate partner abuse (IPA), including intimate partner homicide (IPH). This paper applies an alternative theoretical framework—situational action theory (SAT)—to explain mixed findings regarding changes in IPA and unexpected findings regarding (a lack of) changes in IPH. It is argued that SAT may contribute to explaining the impact of stay-at-home restrictions on IPA and IPH in three important ways: 1. by addressing the fact that motivation is necessary but not sufficient for explaining action and better specifying how motivation translates into IPA and IPH; 2. by addressing the fact that people perceive different alternatives for action and better specifying why some people come to see IPA and IPH as acceptable action alternatives; 3. by addressing the fact that exposure affects people differently and better specifying how stay-at-home restrictions shaped people’s activity fields and, in turn, their perceptions and action choices.

Democratising participatory health promotion: power and knowledge involved in engaging European adolescents in childhood obesity prevention

Public policy aimed at preventing undesired phenomena has increasingly sought to engage representatives of the target population. Little is known, however, about how power dynamics function to shape the processes and outcomes of risk governance engagement interventions. In order to study the ways in which, and the extent to which, power differentials can be reduced in participatory health promotion initiatives, we develop a conceptual framework synthetising theories of participatory action, phenomenology and governmentality. Based on the empirical research into youth participation in the EU project CO-CREATE, involving 15–19-year-old adolescents in five European countries (2019–2021), we show that diverse forms of knowledge may become available in engagement interventions. We analyse the use and relative inclusion and exclusion of these different forms of knowledge in terms of a three-level framework of different depths of democratisation in participatory health promotion: risk management, risk definition and risk negotiation. Advanced democratisation can only be achieved if risk negotiation is carried out in ways which embrace and encourage a range of different, and potentially conflicting forms of knowing.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Construction as a Joint Youth-Parent Project

This study investigated how sexual and gender minority youth and their parents construct goals and strategies relevant to the youth’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity (SOGI). Six youth-parent dyads were studied over 10 months using the qualitative action-project method, which is grounded in contextual action theory. The data consisted of participant conversations, video recall of internal processes, and telephone monitoring. Data analysis resulted in the identification of a youth-parent relationship project for each dyad. Embedded within the broader relationship project were joint actions specific to the youth’s SOGI construction process, such as supporting one another with challenges related to identity disclosures, revisiting the past, and cultivating hope and gratitude. Findings demonstrate a SOGI construction process that is relational, ongoing, dynamic, and infused with goal-directed action. These findings provide insight into youth-parent relationship processes that facilitate the youth’s SOGI construction process.

Building a strong programme in sociological aesthetics: Helmut Staubmann’s Sociology in a New Key

Helmut Staubmann’s Sociology in a New Key develops a compelling approach to the sociologies of art and the emotions, based primarily on Talcott Parsons’ Action Theory and Georg Simmel’s formal sociology. This article appraises the key theoretical strategies of Staubmann’s contribution, and the insights they afford, with particular reference to recent work in the ‘New Sociology of Art’ and the ‘Strong Programme’ of Jeffery Alexander and the Yale school.

Factors affecting consumer intentions and actual behavior: A case of food delivery applications

Customers and food vendors communicate directly through mobile devices. Consumers easily purchase pre-prepared meals via food delivery applications, no matter where they are, even at the convenience of their residences. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the determinants that affect customers’ propensity to purchase and their actual behavior in the setting of food delivery applications. The impact that subjective norms have on consumers’ attitudes toward food ordering via food delivery applications is also examined. The theory of reasoned action and prospect theory are the two basic theories that this study draws on. A convenience sample approach was used to gather data from 288 consumers in Vietnam who placed meal orders using food delivery applications. The data collection was conducted using Google Forms. The results indicated that consumers’ attitude toward purchasing food via food delivery applications positively influenced their buying propensity (β = 0.191, p = 0.001). Similarly, the findings also highlighted that consumers’ subjective norm positively affected both their attitude (β = 0.417, p = 0.000) and their inclination to purchase (β = 0.258, p = 0.000). Likewise, discount framing emerged as the most influential factor affecting purchase intentions (β = 0.262, p = 0.000). Furthermore, customers’ intentions significantly contributed to their actual behavior in acquiring pre-prepared meals through food delivery applications (β = 0.556, p = 0.000). Ultimately, the study offered suggestions for executives, identified limits, and proposed avenues for future research. AcknowledgmentThe author acknowledges Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City that supported this study.

Process and Politics Surrounding the Redevelopment of a Municipal Parking Deck Site in Houghton, Michigan

A proposal to redevelop 1.7 acres of publicly owned downtown waterfront property located in Houghton, Michigan involved a private developer replacing a decaying municipal parking deck with mixed-use taxable construction. The city’s redevelopment process and the developer’s vision for the site met opposition from a small, but well-organized, group calling for a halting of the process and the defeat of incumbent councilors in the subsequent election. Our analysis of the ballots found that challengers received more strategic votes than incumbents and that straight ticket and Election Day voters disproportionately skipped the city council race on their ballots. These results are consistent with collective action theory and rational ignorance theory.

Understanding physical exercise among individuals with substance use disorders using an integrated theoretical perspective of the health action process approach and theory of planned behavior.

Physical exercise is considered a useful non-pharmacological adjunctive treatment for promoting recovery from substance use disorders (SUD). However, adherence to physical exercise treatments is low, and little is known about what factors are associated with the initiation and maintenance of physical exercise behaviors. The aim of this study was to explore the psychosocial factors underlying these behaviors in individuals with SUD using an integrated theoretical model based on the health action process approach (HAPA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). A total of 1,197 individuals with SUDs (aged 37.20 ± 8.62 years) were recruited from 10 compulsory isolation drug rehabilitation centers in Zhejiang Province via convenience sampling according to a set of inclusion criteria. Self-reported data were collected to assess task self-efficacy (TSE), maintenance self-efficacy (MSE), recovery self-efficacy (RSE), outcome expectations (OE), action planning (AP), coping planning (CP), social support (SS), subjective norms (SN), attitude behavior (AB), behavioral intention (BI), perceived behavioral control (PBC), risk perception (RP), exercise stage, and exercise behavior in this integrated model. ANOVA and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to evaluate this model. One-way ANOVA revealed that the majority of the moderating variables were significantly different in the exercise phase. Further SEM showed that the model fit the data and revealed several important relationships. TSE, RP, SS, AB, and SN were indirectly associated with physical exercise behavior in individuals with SUD through the BI in the SUD initiation stage. In addition, PBC was directly related to physical exercise behavior in individuals with SUD. In the maintenance stage, MSE, AP, CP and exercise behavior were significantly related. Moreover, AP and CP were mediators of BI and MSE. This study is the first attempt to integrate patterns of physical exercise behavior in individuals with SUD. The HAPA-TPB integration model provides a useful framework for identifying determinants of physical exercise behavioral intentions and behaviors in individuals with SUD and for explaining and predicting the initiation and maintenance of physical exercise behaviors in these individuals. Moreover, the model provides scientific guidance for the enhancement of physical exercise adherence in individuals with SUD.

A systematic review of factors influencing self-governed public open spaces: insights from social-ecological system framework and collective action

PurposeDue to the influence of complex and intersecting factors, self-governed public open spaces (POSs) (managed by local communities) are subject to collective action dilemmas such as tragedy of the commons (overexploitation), free-riding, underinvestment and mismanagement. This review paper adopts a multi-dimensional and multi-tier social-ecological system (SES) framework proposed by McGinnis and Ostrom, drawing on collective action theory to explore the key institutional-social-ecological factors that impact POS self-governance.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) was utilized to systematically screen and review the relevant literature for the period from 2000 to 2023 in three databases: Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar. A total of 57 papers were chosen for in-depth analysis.FindingsThe literature review identified and categorized several variables associated with the self-organizing system of POS; consequently, an SES-based POS management framework was developed for the first time, consisting of 114 institutional-social-ecological sub-variables from different dimensions and three levels. Compared to ecological factors, among others, governance organizations, property-rights systems, socioeconomic attributes and actors' knowledge of SES have been commonly and primarily studied.Research limitations/implicationsThere is still room for the refinement of the conceptual SES-based POS collective action framework over the time (by adding in new factors), and indefinitely empirical research validating those identified factors is also worth to be undertaken, particularly testing how SES factors and interaction variables affect the POS quality (collective action).Originality/valueThe findings of this study can provide local policy insights and POS management strategies based on the identification of specific SES factors for relevant managers. Moreover, this research makes significant theoretical contributions to the integration of the SES framework and collective action theory with POS governance studies.

Water–energy network provisioning services in Harare, Zimbabwe

Abstract Water-energy systems are interlinked. Energy is used in the treatment and pumping of water. Water is used to generate electricity. Effective and efficient water-energy network provisioning satisfies households' basic human needs. Most local authorities in developing countries have seen water and energy scarcity amid climate change. The research aims to understand the interlinkages of water-energy services and to develop integrated and innovative green solutions in line with sustainable development goals. This study explores water and energy network provisioning to promote an integrated approach to planning and managing service delivery in Harare, Zimbabwe. The paper also establishes how water and energy provisioning challenges have affected household activities. The study embraced a sequential mixed-methods approach. In-depth interviews were used to solicit information from relevant departments and focus group discussions from communities. A total of 314 questionnaires were administered to five communities based on five settlement classifications. The study hinges on the ‘collective action theory'. Findings revealed poor governance issues, lack of finance and public participation in water-energy service delivery. Integration of sectors and community participation can improve the provision of water -energy services and contribute to reducing carbon emissions through greening households.

Effect of Advertising Strategy on Performance of Construction Material Manufacturing Firms in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

The construction material manufacturing firms plays a major role in the Kenyan economy, and understanding the effectiveness of advertising strategies is crucial for sustaining growth and competitiveness. The purpose of study was to examine the effect of advertising on performance of construction material manufacturing firms. The study was guided by Action interest desire action theory. The study employed both descriptive and causal research design. The study targeted 10 registered construction material manufacturing firms in Uasin Gishu with 124 employees. Simple random technique was used to select 95 employees. Primary data was gathered through structured questionnaires with key industry stakeholders, while secondary data was sourced from relevant literature and industry reports. Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics incorporated both the mean and standard deviation. Inferential was based on correlation and regression analysis. Advertising strategy had a significant of 0.565, t=6.847 and 0.00 significance level indicating that advertising strategy had a positive and significant relationship therefore leading to rejection of null hypothesis. The research contributed valuable insights to the construction material manufacturing firms in Uasin Gishu County, assisting firms in optimizing their advertising strategies to achieve sustainable growth and improved performance in a competitive market environment. The study underscores the need for firms to adapt to changing market dynamics and consumer preferences through innovative and tailored advertising approaches.

Anomali dalam Pemilihan Kepala Desa (Studi Kasus di Desa Kamal Kecamatan Pemulutan Barat Kabupaten Ogan Ilir)

This reserach aims to find out the anomalous phenomenon in the election of village heads in Kamal village, West Pemulutan District, Ogan Ilir Regency. The problem focuses on anomalies in the election of village heads in Kamal village, West Pemulutan District, Ogan Ilir Regency. In order to approach this problem, social action theory by Max Weber is used as a reference because this theory is able to analyze actions such as what are the driving factors for anomalies in village head elections. Data was collected through documentation and interviews and analyzed qualitatively. This study concludes that the anomaly in the election of village heads in Kamal village, West Pemulutan District, Ogan Ilir Regency, is due to several social actions. The first is instrumental rational action, in the form of strategies used by each candidate for village head, such as conducting outreach to the community and putting up banners. Second, value-oriented rational actions, such as creating a vision and mission. Third, traditional actions in the form of identity politics. Fourth, namely affective actions, such as issues that develop in village community

Individualistic Versus Relational Ethics – A Contestable Concept for (African) Philosophy

AbstractThaddeus Metz, in his book “A Relational Moral Theory” compares the relational African view to Western theories of right action with a focus on Kant (respective contemporary Kantianism) and Utilitarianism. In focussing on the opposition between a relational and an individualistic view, Metz questions the interpretation of basic normative assumptions that are guiding central Western moral and political institutions. He particularly focusses on Kantian and Utilitarian approaches to which he ascribes substantive moral assumptions in terms of utility respective autonomy. In this paper, we reconstruct Metz’s position on the opposition between a relational and an individualistic view on ethics. We then investigate whether his relational conceptualisation is a convincing reconstruction of African views and question his take on Western positions, focussing in particular on views around individual rights and communality as presented in the Kantian tradition. We highlight the value of ubuntu in intercultural discourse to foster ethical and moral reasoning in a holistic way and conclude that any reflection on ethics necessarily involves an understanding of our common human nature, which is at the core of philosophical anthropology.